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Over the past three years, the school has expanded from offering music classes to providing art, theater and dance instruction to students of (literally) all ages. The goal is to someday make Bass Clef into a full-service fine arts school.

Although music has always been his passion, Bass has a practical side. He has a bachelor’s degree in business management in addition to his master’s degree in music, and for most of his career, he gave lessons as a side gig.

“Music doesn’t always pay the bills, thus the business management aspect of my abilities,” he said.

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Kailey Dunbar assembles a rental violin at Bass Clef School of Music and Fine Arts.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

It was Bass’ former job with Auto Zone that brought him to Montana. He was managing a store out of state when he came here for a visit. A fortunate opening at a local Auto Zone prompted his relocation, a move he’s never regretted.

“Coming to Montana, in my head, it was like cowboy days. That’s what I expected to see,” Bass said. “It just takes your breath away, especially when you’re used to seeing wall to wall people everywhere you go.”

Although all Bass’ children were already grown, he became frustrated with schools across the country cutting music and arts programs. It was time to do something different and return his focus to the thing that he loved.

“I decided it was time to follow my dream and my passion,” he said.

So he opened Bass Clef School of Music in the old Scan Am building at 205 9th Ave. S., a space he quickly outgrew as students flocked to take classes there. In his first year, Bass had 20 students.

At his new location in the Times Square Shopping Center on Central Avenue, Bass currently serves 100 students, a number that has doubled since the beginning of 2018.

The increase in enrollment could be put down to the addition of theater, art and dance programs, but anyone who has seen Bass interact with his students knows the real reason.

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Maebel Zavala, age 2, plays a shaker for her mother, Sheryl, during a music class at the Bass Clef School of Music and Fine Arts.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

“I like Tim,” said 15-year-old Jade Peck. “He’s a lot less demanding than my teacher was in sixth grade. It’s a lot easier to learn when you’re one on one than it is with a group. It’s a good atmosphere.

Jade has been with Bass Clef since the beginning, picking up the violin again that she hadn’t played since elementary school.

A homeschooler, Jade enjoys the personalized instruction she receives from Bass, who doesn’t like to make his lessons into a competition.

“When you’re working with the public school, you’re mostly working for a recital,” Jade said. “So there’s a bunch of holes in your learning, and I didn’t know that until I got here. I didn’t know there was more than one bowing technique when I started, which was kind of lame.”

After his experiences in childhood, Bass wanted to use Bass Clef to make sure everyone has access to fine arts instruction.

“I wanted a place where people could come where number one it would be a safe place,” he said. “We also wanted to be able to offer lessons to people regardless of socioeconomic status, regardless of their age, regardless of whether they had any disabilities or not.”

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Maggie Bowman, left, and Cole Hufford prepare to rehearse a scene from their upcoming play, "The Tortoise vs Hare 2," at Bass Clef School of Music and Fine Arts.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

Bass assesses students on a case by case basis for payment and holds fundraisers and seeks sponsorships to ensure that he can continue to mentor students who need it.

“I can’t say there hasn’t been times it’s been tough because I do have overhead and I have 13 employees,” he said, but “it’s really a good feeling to know that you’re providing a positive impact and a positive role model experience and helping somebody enjoy and improve their quality of life.”

Bass Clef’s inclusive atmosphere means Bass does everything from crawling around on the floor with infants and toddlers to helping 80-year-olds realize lifelong dreams.

“I had an elderly lady who hadn’t played the clarinet since she was a little girl, and she started with me about two months ago trying to learn how to play it again,” he said.

“I had an elderly gentleman who, on his bucket list, he wanted to learn how to play the hammered dulcimer, Bass continued. “He was pushing 80. In fact, he had his 80th birthday while I was teaching him.”

Together, the two figured out how to play the unusual instrument, so “now I can say I can semi-play a hammered dulcimer,” Bass said with a laugh.

The first student Bass worked with who had autism was also experiencing behavior issues at school, getting into trouble several times a day. His mother thought he might be interested in learning to play the piano.

Instead, he jumped on a set of digital drums and played for 45 straight minutes.

“I decided to take him on,” said Bass. “Within the first month, they started noticing a trend in his behavior. By the time I was done seeing him and working with him, he was down to being in trouble once every few weeks.”

Bass also created a class that introduces kids up to 3 years old to music, attending a training in Idaho in order to bring the program to Great Falls.

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Tim Bass, owner of Bass Clef School of Music, plays a drum with Chace Lee, age 2, during a music class for toddlers and their parents, recently.(Photo: TRIBUNE PHOTO/RION SANDERS)

“By the time the training was done, I was like, man, I’m a big old fat guy, and I have to get down on the floor with all these kids and act a fool. I don’t know how I’m going to do that,” he said. “And I have to say that is one of my most enjoyable classes now.”

One of Bass’ goals for Bass Clef is to create a school that benefits not just its students but also enriches the entire community. Students are currently performing for the public right inside the Times Square building on a regular basis, and the drama students’ first show is planned for Aug. 30.

“In this little world, I’m just trying to make things better. If we can help somebody have fun and enjoy life and forget things outside these doors, that’s what we’re here for,” Bass said.

Long-term, Bass’ dream is to turn Bass Clef into a fully-accredited school where students can receive a fine arts degree.

“In the early 1900s, there was a small school not much different from what we are that opened up, and now they’re the most well-known music academy in the world, and that’s Juilliard,” he said. “So why not have a miniature Juilliard right here in Great Falls, Montana?”